You could hear the sincerity in the voice of KSU football coach Darrell Hazell as Friday's practice came to a close.

With his players gathered in a circle around him following their first practice in pads, Hazell told them this: "It's been a great start this week. We're well beyond where we were last year at this at this time."

It's not that often a football player is offended when asked about running a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash.

But that's how junior Dri Archer sounded Thursday afternoon following the second day of Kent State's spring football camp. Asked to verify that he'd indeed run the 40 in an impressive 4.3 seconds, Archer shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, somewhere around there."

Highlighting the 12-game slate are five home games at Dix Stadium, four of which are Mid-American Conference match ups - Ball State (Sept. 29), Western Michigan (Oct. 20), Akron (Nov. 3) and Ohio (Nov. 23).

Kent State football held is first practice of Spring camp Tuesday and many eyes were trained on the quarterback battle between newcomer and junior college transfer David Fisher and senior Spencer Keith.

Both players held their own on the first day of practice at Dix Stadium, receiving passing grades by the Flashes coaching staff.

Four Flashes made the MAC All-League team Wednesday, led by first-team honoree and senior forward Justin Greene. Senior guard Michael Porrini (Massillon) was a third team selection and junior guard Randal Holt (Cleveland) and senior guard Carlton Guyton received honorable mention nods.

The honors mark the first time since 2008 and only the third time (2002, 2008, 2012) in school history that Kent State has had four players on the All-Conference teams.

After starting Friday's regular-season finale against rival Akron with the kind of defensive pressure that lends itself to Kent State's favorite offense - easy baskets in transition - the host Flashes forgot that important lesson come the second half.

Despite owning a 27-18 lead at halftime in front of a nationally televised ESPN2 audience, KSU sat back and all but watched the rival Zips race out to an unanswered 22-2 run that handed the Flashes a disheartening 61-55 loss in front of a sell-out crowd on Senior Night.